Professional photographers know the drill: every few years, Canon or Nikon announces a game-changing DSLR, often prompting top photogs to unload their complete kits and switch to another system in a never-ending attempt to shoot with the best. This time, Canon is first out of the gate, with its flagship EOS-1D X — the latest in a series that dates back to 2001 with the EOS-1D. As you’ve probably noticed, the company’s new top model looks virtually identical to its decade-old ancestor, but is otherwise a far cry from that four megapixel CCD sensor-sporting dinosaur. We’ve been anxiously awaiting an opportunity to check out Canon’s new $6,800 18.1 megapixel full-frame model since first getting word of the beastly camera last week, and just had a chance to go hands-on during the company’s Pro Solutions event in London. Jump past the break for our impressions and a video walkthrough.

Continue reading Canon EOS-1D X first hands-on (video)

Canon EOS-1D X first hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re going to go to the trouble of sending a camera to the edge of space, you might as well send one capable of doing the trip justice, right? That hasn’t always been the case with similar DIY attempts (for obvious reasons), but the team behind the so-called Cygnus “spacecraft” decided to go all out when they sent their weather balloon / beer cooler contraption aloft this month to photograph the curvature of the Earth. In this case, going all out meant sending a Nikon D300s DSLR equipped with Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens, which managed to capture some stunning pictures like the one you see above — although some got a bit obscured by ice build-up. There’s more where that came from at the Flickr link below, and you can check out a video of the launch after the break.

[Thanks, Udi]

Continue reading Nikon D300s travels to the edge of space, survives to share the results

Nikon D300s travels to the edge of space, survives to share the results originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Oct 2011 14:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stick a piece of gaffer tape over the unmistakable X, and Canon’s latest EOS-1D pro-level camera will look virtually identical to every 1D model that came before it. But once you flip up the power slider, this new king of the jungle will hum like no other. Canon’s phenomenally powerful EOS-1D X really sounds like the DSLR to rule them all. Its 18 megapixel full-frame sensor uses oversized pixels to battle noise and is supported by a pair of Digic 5+ imaging processors, which also help drive a 61-point high density reticular AF system, a top ISO setting of 204,000 (51,200 native), a 252-zone metering system, a 14 fps JPEG (or 12 fps RAW) burst mode and a built-in wired gigabit LAN connection, for remote shooting and image transfer. The camera’s curious single-letter name represents a trio of industry milestones: the X is the 10th generation Canon professional SLR (dating back to the F1 in the 1970s), it’s a crossover model, filling in for both the 1D Mark IV and 1Ds Mark III (which has been discontinued), and, well, it sounds to be pretty darn “Xtreme.”

The 1D X is being marketed to every category of professional photographer, from commercial studio shooters to newspaper photogs. It’s familiar, with a similar control layout, yet different, thanks to its completely redesigned system menu — accessed using the 3.2-inch, 1,040,000-dot LCD. There’s also an incredibly sharp intelligent optical viewfinder, with an on-demand grid, AF status indicator, a dual-axis electronic level and a shooting mode readout. Video shooters can choose between 1080p video capture at 24 (23.97), 25 or 30 fps, or 720p at 50 or 60 fps. Canon has also eliminated the 4GB clip limit, though individual clips are limited to 29:59, in order to avoid European tax rates affecting HD cameras that can capture single HD video clips longer than 30 minutes. We’re anxiously awaiting a chance to go hands-on with the EOS-1D X, and you’ll have to wait until March before adding this $6,800 beauty to your gear collection, but jump past the break for the meaty rundown from Canon, and click through the rather thin product gallery below.

Continue reading Canon announces EOS-1D X: full-frame 18MP sensor, 14 fps, 204,800 top ISO, $6,800 price tag

Canon announces EOS-1D X: full-frame 18MP sensor, 14 fps, 204,800 top ISO, $6,800 price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We can’t say that we were too keen on Sony’s DEV-5 Digital Recording Binoculars at first look — it really is hard to get past that $2,000 price tag. But after Sony finally allowed us to shoot photos and video (albeit for a mere three minutes) at the company’s CEATEC booth, we were pleasantly surprised at the image quality, at least some of the time. The images we shot were in 16:9 format, and were roughly 5.3 megapixels in size (the camera’s maximum resolution is 7.1 megapixels). With only a few minutes to play around, we didn’t have time to switch the menu from Japanese to English (CEATEC is held just outside Tokyo), so we had no choice but to use the default settings.

Still, images shot at f/1.8 appeared crisp, even with moderate shake (it’s difficult to keep a heavy pair of binoculars steady when holding them at eye level), with accurate exposure and white balance. When zooming to 10x, however, still photos appeared very noisy, as you’ll see in the gallery below. So are they worth the sky-high price tag? Well, it’s safe to say that we’re not ready to whip out the credit card, though they did perform better than we expected, based only on what we had initially seen through those dual high-res viewfinders. Jump past the break for an HD sample clip, or click the more coverage link below for the untouched samples.

Continue reading Sony DEV-5 Digital Recording Binoculars sample photos and video

Sony DEV-5 Digital Recording Binoculars sample photos and video originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Flickr unveils Android app, introduces real-time Photo Session feature (video)

Flickr unveils Android app, introduces real-time Photo Session feature (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nothing ruins a Kodak moment faster than taking a timeout to set up a tripod, which is why the folks at Gomite went magnetic when developing its tiny new Tiltpod. Designed for compact cameras or video recorders, magnets enable users to sidestep the whole “screw-in” process that typically eats away precious pre-shot moments. The underside is made of an elusive “grippy material,” enabling it to perch easily on rocks, car hoods, bathroom sinks or any other odd place you may want to recall vividly. Kind of like a cheaper version of this guy, the Tiltpod is available online now for a cool $17.95. For those still struggling to grok the purpose, there’s a gallery’s worth of explanation just below.

Continue reading Gomite Tiltpod magnetic tripod: snapping awkward family photos just got easier

Gomite Tiltpod magnetic tripod: snapping awkward family photos just got easier originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sure, that TwitPic you posted was dope, but could it ever be as snazzy as a photo taken from space? Although doubtful, now at least there’s the NASA Photography Training Program handbook to help you achieve such levels of awesomeness. The guide provides tips on operating the official camera of the space agency, the Hasselblad 500 EL/M, responsible for some of the most extraterrestrial shots this side of Pluto. Pointers on how to best operate the electric film lunar surface data camera include what type of lens to use and how to best use available light. Study up at the source — after all, privatized space travel is just around the bend.

Visualized: NASA’s Hasselblad photography manual originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 06:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Samsung unveils WB750 camera, with long zoom for all your paparazzi needs

Samsung unveils WB750 camera, with long zoom for all your paparazzi needs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 05:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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During our trip to Sony HQ earlier this summer to check out the NEX-C3, company reps hinted that the best was yet to come — and held true to their word. Today’s NEX-7 release breaks a handful of digicam records, becoming not only the first mirrorless camera to pack a 24.3 megapixel APS-C sensor, but the first APS-C cam of any shape and size to smash through this notable barrier — potentially delivering unparalleled image quality for a camera of its size. Sony’s new flagship mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (ILC) also features the same OLED viewfinder included with its brand-new Alpha A77, delivering XGA (1024 x 768-pixel) resolution directly to your eye. There’s also 1080 / 60p AVCHD video capture, a full-size hot shoe, and a completely redesigned “Tri-Navi” interface. We spent a few minutes with a pre-production NEX-7 earlier this month — jump past the break for our initial impressions.

Continue reading Sony unveils NEX-7: 24.3 MP sensor, OLED viewfinder, $1199 price tag (video)

Sony unveils NEX-7: 24.3 MP sensor, OLED viewfinder, $1199 price tag (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shot glass lens set likely won’t improve your photography originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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